Pages

Feb 6, 2017

Surprise your valentine with these Cherry Cardamom Snowballs! A touch of warm cardamom spices up chewy cherries in this tender and buttery cookie. So easy to make and so pretty too!

These are really good. As in I made five batches of these before I could get a photo of them. My family ate the first four batches of these before I could even take a picture! I had to hide these in a box on top of the refrigerator out of sight to get these photos.

I wanted to make a pink snowball cookie for Valentine's Day. The only thing remotely pink in my pantry was a jar of maraschino cherries. We all know by now that Bibi's favorite cookie is snowballs -so why not cherry snowballs? What's Bibi's favorite spice for cookies (other than cinnamon)? Cardamom! So why not Cherry Cardamom Snowballs? Yes! And it worked. Brilliantly. As always these snowball cookies are a breeze to make, look daintily delicious, and can easily be made vegan with a good quality vegetable shortening. Have a Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy!

Nov 9, 2016

A classic American Christmas cookie gets a flavor makeover with rich pistachios, delicate rose, and spicy cardamom! Buttery, tender, and eggless these snowball cookies are always a hit no matter what the occasion. These beautiful treats can easily be made vegan and would be a delicious addition to any holiday platter.

By now you've probably figured out that rose and cardamom are two of my favorite dessert flavors. Yes, it's true! From kulfi, to kheer, to cake, to cookies - I love this flavor combination! Throw in some pistachios or coconut and I'm in heaven. So it's probably no surprise that I took my beloved snowball cookie recipe from my old 4-H cookbook and made it with pistachios instead of walnuts or pecans. And what better flavors to compliment pistachios than rose and cardamom? You don't have to make these the festive (or lurid) green that I did. You could make them brilliant pink with a few drops of red food coloring or simply leave the coloring out altogether. These cookies can easily be made vegan by substituting a good quality margarine in place of the butter.

1) In a large mixing bowl combine together pistachios, butter, powdered sugar, flour, salt, flavorings, and green food coloring. Chill dough covered with cling film for at least 4 hours.

2) When ready to bake preheat oven to 325F/165C. Roll chilled dough by tablespoonful into 1 inch balls. For a little extra flavor place a few drops of rose water on your hands before rolling the dough. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats about 2 inches apart.

3) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are browned lightly. Immediately remove with spatula and allow to cool on rack.

4) If desired, roll the cookies in powdered sugar while still warm. Makes 24 cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Helpful Hints:
Add a little extra flavor by sprinkling a few drops of rose water on your hands before rolling the dough.